Bring your social security number to school day

[TwoEdgedSword]

My kids are dual enrolled at the local h.s. and the school is requesting the students bring their Soc. Sec. number to school for the PSAT and for seniors to fill out the FAFSA.

 

I have no intention of my senior attempting the FAFSA without me and maybe it's just for a FAFSA ID, but for this and the PSAT is it really necessary to bring your Soc. Sec. # to school?

I don't remember that in the past.

 

Thanks

[TranquilMind]

My kids are dual enrolled at the local h.s. and the school is requesting the students bring their Soc. Sec. number to school for the PSAT and for seniors to fill out the FAFSA.

 

I have no intention of my senior attempting the FAFSA without me and maybe it's just for a FAFSA ID, but for this and the PSAT is it really necessary to bring your Soc. Sec. # to school?

I don't remember that in the past.

 

Thanks

 

No.  You don't have to add the SSN to do the PSAT.  I don't know anything about the FAFSA in recent years, but no way can a kid fill that out with all of your personal financial information, and I sure wouldn't send it to any school. 

[justasque]

My kids are dual enrolled at the local h.s. and the school is requesting the students bring their Soc. Sec. number to school for the PSAT and for seniors to fill out the FAFSA.

 

I have no intention of my senior attempting the FAFSA without me and maybe it's just for a FAFSA ID, but for this and the PSAT is it really necessary to bring your Soc. Sec. # to school?

I don't remember that in the past.

 

Thanks

I would assume that your school is doing this because they have large numbers of kids with parents who aren't college-savvy.  Since you are, I would either skip it, or call the guidance counselor (or your contact at the school) to get more info.  If your kids are dual enrolled, there may be some kind of assembly about this, which they may also be able to skip if it's mostly FAFSA.  If you intend for them to take the PSAT, now would be a good time to clarify that with the guidance counselor (or whoever would be in charge of that) to be sure they have ordered a test for them, etc.  (Wait - just noticed your child is a senior, in which case PSAT doesn't apply to them.)

[TwoEdgedSword]

There are two. One is taking the PSAT.

[AMJ]

My kids are dual enrolled at the local h.s. and the school is requesting the students bring their Soc. Sec. number to school for the PSAT and for seniors to fill out the FAFSA.

 

I have no intention of my senior attempting the FAFSA without me and maybe it's just for a FAFSA ID, but for this and the PSAT is it really necessary to bring your Soc. Sec. # to school?

I don't remember that in the past.

 

Thanks

 

 

NO!  It is a very dangerous practice to hand out one's SSN to whomever asks.  This is a part of one's personally identifying information and is tied directly to their financial info.  It should only be given to people who actually TRULY need it for financial matters (and double-check a LOT as to whether they truly need it first).

 

Too many people treat the SSN as an id number.  This encourages people to not give their SSNs the level of protections it really requires, and leaves such people a LOT more vulnerable to identity theft.  

 

Teach your kids to guard their SSNs well and refuse to give it out.  If they are in any doubt they should be checking with you first as to whether something is a reasonable and necessary request for their SSNs.

 

Then go have a word with the school in question for holding an event that undermines the teaching of protecting one's personally identifying information.  Doing such things can come back to bite the school legally in the future due to numerous ways a student's SSN could be compromised on such a day.

[Little Women]

They will need the SSN to do the FAFSA, because it's based on both your and their tax information.  However, I don't know why the school is doing it.  Perhaps they have a lot of first-generation college kids, so they are trying to give them extra help.  If you will do the FAFSA yourselves, you should be able to just tell them you will handle it, but I don't know what your teen will do during that time.

 

[J-rap]

Your senior could always start a FAFSA account at school, but of course he would probably not be able to answer too much of it because so much of it is based on your/your husband's financial situation.  So, he could just fill in the little that he knows and save it then.  But if he does that, make sure he takes careful notes on the PIN and password or whatever it is these days.  It's such a hassle to get back into it again if you don't remember it!

 

I'd probably have him memorize his SS number though and not bring it on a piece of paper.